The scramble for PPE: ‘This country has never seen procurement like it is occurring now’
From face masks, to medical gowns, testing kits, ventilators, and beyond, the federal government has been working to secure millions of pieces of medical and personal protective equipment needed in the fight against COVID-19 in a massive, cross-ministry and -jurisdictional collaborative effort that’s been described as “unprecedented” and “24/7” for those involved. “Since the Second […]
Not all apps are created equal: privacy and ethics should impact design, adoption of contact tracing tools
As governments world-wide contemplate COVID-19 “return-to-normal” strategies, contact-tracing apps have become part of the conversation. Tracing and notification of those who have had contact with an infected person is a major public health role in a pandemic. Contact-tracing apps are meant to supplement often-overwhelmed public health agencies. In Canada, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has announced […]
Don’t be so quick to sign away privacy rights in the face of the pandemic
In a recent Washington Post op-ed, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared data is “a new superpower” to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically “the ability to gather and share data for good.” Zuckerberg and other tech giants are offering their services to track the pandemic’s progression using social media data and trace the contacts of infected […]
Canadians shouldn’t have to give up privacy rights to prevent the spread of COVID-19
As governments around the world look for strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19, there have been increasing questions about how Canada will do the same. One common acknowledgement is that in order to lift mass isolation measures while containing the spread of the virus, jurisdictions must have robust systems for testing and rapid contact […]
Domestic food supply is critical: supply management guarantees delivery
Ideology has never been a good substitute for data, a fact that has been brought out very vividly by the pandemic that is ravaging the world presently. The Canadian government response has been practical and pragmatic and has made a potentially horrendous situation less so. The fact that Canadians have not experienced persistent shortages of […]
Slammed by COVID, Canada’s aviation industry looking to federal government for help
Faced with sharply declining revenues due to COVID-19, the Canadian aviation industry is taking a major hit. From airlines to airports and aerospace companies throughout the supply chain, all are facing challenges to their bottom line, and potentially their survival. Some targeted government relief has been announced for certain groups in the industry, but with […]
Here’s how AI can help, and is already helping, Canada fight COVID-19
The federal government has signed a contract with BlueDot, a Toronto-based digital health firm that was vaunted for its early identification of the COVID-19 outbreak, to track the spread of the virus, the latest tool in the artificial intelligence toolbox being deployed against the public health crisis. “The Government of Canada, through the Public Health […]
Canada needs to own critical IP and data assets to inspire generational economic prosperity
Artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G are infrastructure layers for future technologies: 5G enables collection and use of data while AI unlocks the ability to extract value from that data. For Canada’s economic prosperity, we need strategic stewardship of Canada’s investment in these technologies. And that stewardship starts with Canadian firms owning the innovation assets—intellectual property […]
Speeding up on the information highway: Canada’s drive towards 5G is not designed for its citizens
At this historic moment, we are all seeking some comfort and normality. Over the years, we got used to video-conferencing with family, friends, and colleagues, streaming our favourite series and video games, taking part in online fitness classes, ordering groceries, and asking for health counselling online. In times of COVID-19, however, we have come to […]
The undeniable AI-5G convergence
Current COVID-19-related events and responses demonstrate the interconnectedness of our world. A virus that began in China has spread to more than 100 countries in a matter of weeks. From a technology point of view, connectivity is global and omnipresent—and 5G will take connectivity to a level that has never been seen before in human […]
